articles
Read Marianne's latest write-up
from Chestnut Hill Local
In Richard Rosenfeld's words...
Marianne Mitchell has a rare and precious talent: She is a true colorist. When she puts down one color next to another an emergent quality arises, transforming them both in this dynamic relationship. Her unusual sensitivity to color is accompanied by an innate understanding of the emotional impact of all visual elements involved in making a painting: line, shape, composition, texture, etc.
She is inspired by nature. Not the exact appearance of a scene but by an emotional reaction to witnessing events in nature be it the way light is filtered through foliage, the frosty glint off new fallen snow, or the moment when the mist begins to rise on a summer day. Holding these experiences in her memory they later emerge in the work, filtered through her personal aesthetic, finely tuned sensibilities, and masterful technique.
For years Marianne Mitchell’s major media has been oil pastels and developed a unique technique using a razor blade and plastic spreader to accommodate her translucent imagery. When she felt the need to work larger she started painting with acrylic on panels, interpreting her imagery through the new medium. However the paintings soon took on a life of their own by becoming more textured and varied in surface, offering quite an impact from a distance along with a richly rewarding experience upon close inspection.
This exhibition represents two bodies of work each exploiting the strengths of the media while hanging well together, expressing a single vision of a gifted visual poet.
- Richard Rosenfeld